Contact device for braiding machines



jan, 22,1924. 3,481,483

7 I A. PETERSEN CONTACT DEVICE FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Original Filed July50 1920 Patented den. 22, 11924.

MOLD OGMPANY, OF

CQN'IACT DOE FOR BRAIDING 'cri mci application filed an so, 1920,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANKnR citizen of theUnited States of America, and resident of Winthro in the county ofSuffolk and State of Elassachusetts, have invented new anduseful 1mrovements in Contact Devices for Braiding achines, of which thefollowing is a specification.-

This invention pertains to braiding machines of the general typedisclosed in the patent to Petersen No. 1,105,452, July 28, 1914, andrelates more particularly to detector devices cooperable with thebobbins of the outer series and constituting elements of air-electricalstop mechanism by means of which the machine is brought to rest uponbreakage or slackening of a, thread of the outer series, the presentapplication being a division of my PatentNo. 1,430,680, granted October3, 1922.

The object of the present invention is to provide a detector devicewhich is reliable'in operation and substantiall unaffected by thepresence of oil or lint, an at the same time of very simple andunexpensive construction. One arrangement suitable for attaining theabove object is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings inwhich Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a braiding machinehaving the present improvements applied thereto; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentar vertical cross section on the line 2--2 of ig. 1.

. The numeral 1 indicates the usual rotating frame or ring upon whichthe bobbins of the outer series are supported. This ring as herein showncomprises the inwardly directed flange member 2 having the downwardlydepending ring 3 at its inner edge.

Parts 2 and 3 may be integral with the. ring 1 or secured thereto in anydesired manner. Upon the upper surface of the flange 2 a se ries ofpairs of brackets such as 4, 5 is secured, and each pair of brackets isprovided with bearings for the reception of the opposite ends of theshaft or spindle 6 upon which the spool or thread mass 7 is mounted.

' A metallic ring 8 (or a series of separated plates if preferred issecured to the inner surface of the mem er 3, and from this ring, orfrom each of the several plates, electrical conductors .(not shown)extend to a ring located at the centre of the machine and form-Pn'rnnsnn, a

TFOBD, CONNECTICUT, A CQRPORATION OE CUNNEGTICUT;

. CHINE.

Serial No. 400,172. Divided and this application filed August 16, 1922.serial No; 582,159.

ing part of an'electrical stop motion circuit.

As illustrating suitableelectrical connections for-this purposereference may be had to the patent to Petersen N 0. 1,072,984 wherein adesirable arrangement is shown in Fig. 10.

The ring 8 is insulated from the ring 3 b means of a layer of suitablematerial 9.

series of contact plates such as 10 (or a continuous ring if preferred)is mounted upon the upper surface of the flange member 2, beinginsulated therefrom by a layer of suitable material 9. Preferably one ofthe plates 10 is arranged between the bobbin supporting brackets 4, 5 ofeach pair, and each plate is electrically connected with the ring 8 bymeans of a conductor 11.

A shaft 12 is arranged to turn in bearings at its opposite ends in thebrackets 4, 5 respectively, this shaft being arranged above andsubstantially parallel to the correspond ing plate 10. A finger 13projects substantially radially from the shaft 12 and is of such alength that its free extremity may be brought into wiping engagementwith the upper surface of the plate 10. A second fin er 14 also projectsfrom the shaft 12 and is urnished with a yarn guide eye 15 adjacent toits free extremity. The finger 13 is relatively short and stiff ascompared with the finger l4 and these fingers are preferably formedintegrally from a length of wire which is coiled about the shaft 12 asindicated at 16 andwhich' may be secured thereto by means of solder orin any other suitable manner. A coil spring 17 surrounds the shaft 12,having one of its ends fastened to the shaft and the other end securedto one of the brackets, as for example the bracket 4. This spring is soarranged that it tends normally to turn the shaft 12 in acounter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 so as to cause the endof the finger 13 to engage the plate 10.

A bracket 18 is secured to the outer face of the ring 1 at a pointadjacent to each pair of brackets 4, 5 by means of screws such as 19.The uppermost of these -screws serves also to hold a thread guide finger20 in operative position, the thread engaging portion of this,

ion

several brackets 18 and from this ring thread uide eyes such as 22project, each guide eye ying substantially in the vertical plane ofmovement of the finger 14. a

The yarn Y from the-bobbin or thread mass 7 passes downwardly under thethread finger 20, thence through the thread e e 15 and then downwardlythrough the gu de 22 to the usual lever device (not shown) by means ofwhich the thread from a bobbin of the outer series is caused alternatelyto pass over and under bobbin carriers of the inner series. Such leversare illustrated for example in the patent to Petersen No. 1,105,452.

In the normal operation of the machine the fingers 13 and 14 arepositioned as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the tension on the yarnbein sufiicient to drag the finger 14 downwar ly against the tension ofthe spring 17.

If however during the operation of the machine the yarn should becomeslackened or should break, the pring 17 immediately swings the finger 13downwardly into contact with the plate 10- thereby completing theelectrical .circuit of the stop .motion mechanism and bringing themachine to rest. As the contact fin er '13 swings into engagement withthe p ate 10 it tends to wipe off any accumulated oil or lint so that ateach operation the contact finger forms a ood electrical contact withthe plate.

he device thus provided is of simple construction and delicate inoperation and may be applied to any usual braiding machine furnishedwith electrical stop mechanism.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. A braiding machine of the type employing an electrical stop mechanismand comprising in combination an insulated contact plate and a pair offingers extending substantially radially from a common axis parallel tosaid contact plate and simultaneously movable about said axis, one ofsaid fingers being of such length as to permit its end portion to engagethe surface of the contact plate and the other finger extendingdownwardly from its axis and having a yarn engaging element, and meansnormally tending to hold said first finger in contact with the plate.

2. A braiding machine of the type employing an electrical stop mechanismand comprising in combination a contact plate and a relatively short andstill contact finger pivotally supported to swing in a' planeperpendicular to said plate whereby to bring its end into wi ingengagement with the plate, a second nger longer than the first and movabe simultaneously therewith, the second finger extending downwardly fromits axis and having a yarn guide eye,and spring means tending to swingsaid. first finger into engagement with the plate.

3. A braiding machine of the type emagencies ploying an electrical stopmechanism and comprising in combination a rotatable support, spoolcarrying means mounted thereon, a rotary element carried by saidsupporting means, oppositely directed members projecting from saidelement, one of said members constituting an electrical circuit closerand being engageable with a relativel fixed contact, a spring normallytending to turn said element whereby to urge said circuit closer intoengagement with said contact, and a thread enga ing device carried bythe other of said mem ers whereby said element may be turned in theopposite direction by tension of thread engaging said device normally toprevent engagement of said circuit closer with the fixed contact.

4. A braiding machine of the type employing an electrical stop motioncomprising a contact plate, a rotary shaft, a continuous length of wirecoiled about the shaft and fixed there-to, one end of the wireprojecting to form a finger so disposed that its end may be caused toengage the contact plate, and the other end of the wire constituting asecond finger having a thread guide eye adjacent to its free extremity,and'a coil spring encircling the shaft and normally tending to turn theshaft whereby to cause the first named finger to engage the contactplate.

5. In a braiding machine of the class described, in combination, arotatable spool carrying member, a shaft pivotally upported thereon, alength of wire secured to the shaft, one end of the wire projecting toform a contact finger, said finger having a contact element, aninsulated contact plate for engagement by said element, spring meansnormally tending to maintain said element in contact with said plate,and the other end of the wire having a guide engageable by a threadunder tension whereby to maintain said contact element and plate innormally separated position.

6. In a braiding machine provided with an electrical stop motion, incombination a rotatable frame member, a pair of spaced brackets mountedthereon constructed and arranged to support a thread mass, a shafthaving its ends pivoted to turn in the respective brackets, a springsurrounding said shaft and tending constantly to turn the same, athread-engaging finger fixed to said shaft and extending substantiallyradially therefrom, a contact finger extending from said shaft, and aninsulated contact plate carried vby said rotatable frame member andlying in the path of movement of said second finger.

7. In a braiding machine of the class described, a rotatable spoolcarrier provided with an electrical contact element, a second contactelement also carried thereby and mounted to move toward and from saidfirst named element, and a thread-engaging latter is in normal position,and a second actuating finger for said second element thread guidearranged below said thread 10 whereby the latter may be held out of coneye.

6 tact with said first element, said actuating Signed by me at Boston,Mass, this 14th finger being rovided with a thread eye, day of August,1922. a thread gui e arranged substantially in ANKER PETERSEN.

the horizontal plane of said eye when the

